GIS 50007L - Module 4: Cartographic Design

Hello Everyone! 

This week, the focus of my studies was on Cartographic Design. Cartography design is, in my opinion, one of the most important aspects of Cartography as the map author needs to sit down and gauge their concept of the map at hand and how they want it to be perceived by the intended audience. For a map to be effective and convey the correct message, a cartographer needs to adhere to a set of principles named the Gestalt Principles of Perceptual Organization. These principles ultimately define what a properly organized map looks like and how a map should be created to most effectively reflect the message the map has to convey. Gestalts Principles include Visual Hierarchy, Contrast, Figure Ground, and Balance

This week I was tasked with creating a map of the public school locations in Ward 7 of Washington D.C. For this map I was only given enough information to get me started on the general layout of the map, the rest I had to figure out how I wanted to proceed with while ultimately following the Gestalt Principles. For this map, the data I was provided with included Ward 7 from its area data, to its streets, neighborhoods, and water features. I was also provided with other data from Washington D.C. including its boundary data, US Highways, State Highways, School Locations, Waterbodies, and Parks to name a few. Given the instructions I had and the data I was provided with, this is how my map turned out!

This map was by far one of the most challenging maps for me to create but not for the reasons you might think. I created this map using nothing but ArcGIS Pro and did not even have to open Adobe Illustrator at any point during the project. The real challenge with this map is achieving the wanted result with the information given. The devil is really in the details with this kind of cartography work! Before I get into the principles of map design I was looking to achieve I would first like to hit on how this map came to be. The first thing you might notice about this map is that it is two maps in one as my last map of Marathon, FL. My main map consists of Ward 7, the area of interest, and my inset map (the map at the top left) contains the region of Washington D.C. to give the viewer a reference of the area being studied. 

In order to make this map work the way that I wanted to, I needed to follow the Gestalt Principles. The first on the list is Visual Hierarchy. Visual Hierarchy is how the elements on the map are ranked on the map based on their importance. The hierarchy according to Gestalts principles can be broken down as follows :

1. Thematic Symbols
2. The title, Subtitle, and Legend
3. Base information which can include roads or boundaries or other features.
4. Scale bar and north arrow
5. Data Source and Notes
6. Map Frame/Neat Lines

With these principals in mind, I tried to make the symbology, title, legend, and base info the focus of my map. My symbology is the most important feature on my map which is why it is in the boldest colors within the main map. In order to complement this, I reduced the colors of the other base information such as the D.C. area and other features with lighter less eye-catching neutral colors with the exception of the major transportation routes. For Contrast, I utilized several techniques to help the user distinguish certain features from each other. First, by using three separate colors and sizes for my school symbology, I was able to give the viewer the ease of distinguishing between the three school types on the map. Second, the widths of the road lines show the type of roadway network where the widest is an Interstate, and the narrowest is a neighborhood street. Next is the principle of Figure Ground. This is where the creator wants to make features pop out more on the map than others. In my map, I used this in my study area inset map with the Ward 7 area, and on my school symbology to attempt to make them pop out and catch the eye of the viewer. Finally, and most importantly I was challenged with the principle of balance. To me, balance is the single most important principle in cartographic design. Balance is how all the elements in the map are organized and how they are placed on the layout space. In order for balance to be achieved in my map, I had to decide where to place the inset map, how to arrange the other elements. I chose this orientation with the weight distributed in the top left and bottom right corners so the map would not be too heavy on one side or the other.

This map was a challenge to me for the balance principle. Washington D.C. has one of the most unique geographic and geometric shapes. This ultimately presented a challenge to me when trying to figure out how to map the area and arrange all of my map elements on the page. After this exercise, I understand how challenging map design and detail can be. Since this project had limited instructions I was forced to think and place myself in the mind of my boss who assigned this project to me with limited information. Even in the professional world, we are never guaranteed complete instructions, and I think that Cartography is an amazing way to mold and practice my skills and challenge myself to visualize, sculpt, and map the world differently! 

~Map On!